Processing data packets using a policy based network path

ABSTRACT

Methods and systems are provided for processing data packets in a data network using a policy based network path. A policy enforcing point receives a data packet associated with a service session and routes it toward its destination along a network path which is determined according to data packet information and one or more packet processing criteria. The data packet information may include one or more of information associated with the packet, information associated with prior packets, and information obtained from a network computer. The network path may be selected from a database of network paths. The network path may include an order list of further policy enforcing points and corresponding network application appliances. The policy enforcing point may generate a new data packet based on the data packet and the policy based network path and send the new data packet to a next policy enforcing point.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This patent application claims the priority benefit of U.S. provisional patent application No. 61/799,244, filed Mar. 15, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to data processing, and more particularly to processing data packets using a policy based network path.

BACKGROUND

Data networks such as the Internet, enterprise data networks, mobile broadband networks, and cloud networks, have become an integral part of our lives. We use data networks to obtain news, gather product information, reserve a table for dinner, submit a payment, purchase a good, read a book, find a map, make or receive phone calls, conduct or join a conferencing event, participate in a meeting, work on a document, approve a promotion, chat with a friend, watch television and videos, book a plane ticket, and do many other things in our normal lifestyle or work style. Typically we use a host computing device such as a smartphone, a tablet, a laptop, a personal computer, or a smart television, to communicate with an application service server to perform one or more tasks over a service session. The server is typically a computing device. The service session includes a plurality of data packets routing through a data network.

Currently, a host device sends data packets through the data network to the server device. Conversely the server device sends response data packets through the data network to the host device. The network path, in which data packets traverse from the host device to the server device, is pre-set by the data network using one or more network forwarding protocols such as Internet routing protocols, Ethernet protocols, and other layer 2 or layer 3 protocols. The network path typically consists of network switches and routers.

The data packets of the service session is usually subjected to a number of inspections and controls before the data packets are delivered to the destination host device or server device. These network inspections and controls are performed by special network application appliances. There are security related inspections and controls such as IDS (intrusion detection system), firewall, lawful interception, malware detection and many others. There are company specific security inspections and controls that detects for document transfer, email scan, user access control, and others. There are network traffic inspections and controls such as bandwidth management, quality of service, tariff control and others. There are network monitoring inspections and controls such as rating, sampling, packet tracing and others. There are network optimization inspection and controls such as content caching, data de-duplication, email access optimization, and others.

It is very common for a network administrator to deploy one or more such network inspections and controls to a service session. In order for the inspection and control to function properly, a network administrator must know the preset network path of the service session and deploy the network application appliance along the preset network path. To assure the service session is subjected to the inspection and control function of the deployed network application appliance, the network administrator also needs to engineer and plan the data network such that any changes, due to a change of the network switches and routers, from the preset network path to a new preset network path, the new preset network path needs to include the deployed network application appliance.

Additionally, network inspection and control functions are usually computing and/or resource intensive. When their capacities are reached, the network administrator needs to deploy additional network application appliances, or utilize other less busy network application appliances in the data network. Deploying additional network application appliances requires, as mentioned above, careful planning and engineering of the data network in order for the plurality of network application appliances to share the processing or resource load, and to ensure the network paths of a plurality of service sessions to pass through the plurality of network application appliances in an evenly distributed manner. Utilizing other less busy network application appliances is often not possible as the network paths are pre-determined by the networking protocols outside the scope of the network application appliance.

SUMMARY

This summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described in the Detailed Description below. This summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in determining the scope of the claimed subject matter.

The present disclosure concerns methods by which a data packet may be routed toward its destination along a network path. The network path passes through one or more policy enforcing points; each of each may be associated with a network appliance which may perform one or more operations on the data packet. Each policy enforcing point may determine one or more segments of the remaining portion of the network path by applying one or more packet processing criteria to information associated with the content of the packet.

In some embodiments, the network path may be selected from one or more policy based network paths which are stored in a database.

In some embodiments, the policy enforcing point may create a new data packet based on the data packet. The new data packet may include the data packet and the policy based network path. The policy based network path may be embodied in an order list which determines the further policy enforcing points along the network path. The policy based network path may be encapsulated in a protocol header which is incorporated into the new data packet.

In some embodiments, the policy enforcing point may create a tunneling communication session, create a new data packet adopted for the tunneling communication session, the new data packet incorporating the data packet, and route the new data packet toward the data packet's destination through the tunneling communication session.

The present disclosure further concerns systems which route a data packet along a policy based network path according to the methods described herein.

The present disclosure further concerns a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions, which when executed by one or more processors, route a data packet along a policy based network path according to the methods described herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments are illustrated by way of example, and not by limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references indicate similar elements.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an environment within which a method can be implemented for routing a data packet along a policy based network path from a client to a server.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a detailed representation of a client side policy enforcing point.

FIG. 3 shows a system which implements a method for routing a data packet along a policy based network path from a server to a client.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a server side policy enforcing point.

FIG. 5 shows a diagrammatic representation of a computing device for a machine in the example electronic form of a computer system, within which a set of instructions for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein can be executed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In various embodiments, a policy based data network adapts a policy based data network path for a service session between a client device and an application service server device in order to apply one or more network inspections and controls over the service session.

A policy based data network may be a data network connected to a plurality of network application appliances, which perform one or more inspection and control functions over a service session. The policy based data network path may include an indication of one or more network application appliances corresponding to one or more network inspections and controls. The indication may include an order of the one or more network application appliances, where the policy based data network forwards the data packets of the service session through the one or more network appliances according to the indicated order.

Turning now to the drawings, FIG. 1 shows an example embodiment in which the client device 102 may be a computing device connected to the policy based data network 104 using a network module of the client device. The client device may be a personal computer, a laptop computer, a tablet, a smartphone, a mobile phone, an Internet phone, a netbook, a home gateway, a broadband gateway, a network appliance, a set top box, a media server, a personal media play, a personal digital assistant, an access gateway, a networking switch, a server computer, a network storage computer, or any computing device comprising a network module and a processor module.

The application service server device or server device 138 may be a server computer connected to the policy based data network using a network module of the server computer. The application service server device includes a processing module and a storage medium. The storage medium may include executive instructions that, when executed by the processing module of the application service server device, performs a function to serve an application service requested by the client device. The application service server device may serve the application service requested by the client device over a service session 106 where the server device and the client device exchange data packets over the service session. At least some of the data packets of the service session may be processed through the policy based data network.

The policy based data network may comprise a plurality of network elements. These network elements may include network switches such as Ethernet switches, ATM switches, optical switches and other data packet switches. These network elements may further include network routers such as IP routers, wireless network elements, or cellular base stations. In various embodiments, data packets of the service session may be processed and forwarded by one or more of these network elements. The policy based data network may be connected to one or more of these network elements.

In the present embodiment, the policy based data network may include one or more policy enforcing points 110. A policy enforcing point 110 may be a networking element that includes a processor module, a network module and a storage module 112. The storage module 112 may store a plurality of programming instructions that, when executed by the processor module, perform one or more functions of this invention. The network module may connect to one or more other policy enforcing points 110. The policy enforcing point 110 may connect to a network application appliance 116 performing network inspection, load balancing or control function.

In various embodiments, a policy enforcing point 110 may connect to a network application appliance 116 and send data packets of the service session 106 to the network application appliance 116 according to the policy based data network path. The policy enforcing point 110 may receive a data packet 108 of the service session 106 from the network application appliance 116. The policy enforcing point 110 determines the data packet to be processed according to the policy based data network path and processes the data packet based on the policy based data network path and the network application appliance 116.

In various embodiments, a network application appliance 116 may include a processor module, a network module and a storage module. The storage module may include a plurality of programming instructions which, when executed by the processor module, performs a network application function. A network application function may include one or more security functions such as intrusion detection, malware detection, firewalling, lawful interception, email scanning, or virus detection. A network application function may also include one or more traffic management functions such as bandwidth management, bandwidth tariff policing, quality of services policing, or traffic steering. Additionally, a network application function may include one or more corporate security policing functions such as content detection, file transfer detection, service proxy like web proxy, SSL proxy, or IPSec proxy, application identification, public user identity identification, private user identity identification, access control, or user authentication. Furthermore, a network application function may include one or more service optimization functions such as content caching, email and document caching, data de-duplication, video caching, server load balancing, global server load balancing, or DNS optimization. A network application function may also include one or more traffic tracking functions such as packet counting, statistics sampling, application service rating, or client device rating.

In some embodiments, the policy based data network path 124, 132, 136 includes a client side policy enforcing point 126. The client side policy enforcing point 110 receives a data packet 108 of the service session 106 from the client device 102. The client side policy enforcing point 110 may select a policy based network path 124, 132, 136 based on the data packet 108.

The client side policy enforcing point 110 may retrieve information 140 from the data packet 108. The data packet information may include one or more of the layer 2 information such as a MAC address or a network interface number, layer 3 addresses such as source IP address and destination IP address, layer 4 address information such as source TCP/UDP port, destination TCP/UDP port, and TCP/UDP option, application layer content information such as URL, cookie information, transaction identity, DNS identity, session identity, receiving time of the data packet, and data packet information 114 from a prior data packet. The client side policy enforcing point 110 may combine the data packet information 140 together with the information from prior data packets 114 of the service session 106 from the client device 102 to perform the selection. The client side policy enforcing point 110 may also obtain additional information regarding the data packet by querying a network computer 118, based on the retrieved data packet information 140. Data packet information as used herein may refer to the combination of the retrieved information 140 from the data packet 108, the information from prior data packets 114 and the additional information obtained from another computer. The client side policy enforcing point 110 may use the data packet information 140 to select the policy based data network path 124, 132, 136.

Turning now to FIG. 2, in some embodiments, the storage module 204 of the client side policy enforcing point 202 may include a database 206 of policy based data network paths 208. A policy based data network path 208 in the database 206 may be associated with a packet processing criterion 210. The client side policy enforcing point 202 matches the data packet information 214 with the packet processing criterion 210. When the client side policy enforcing point 202 determines the data packet information 214 matches the packet processing criterion 210, the client side policy enforcing point 202 may select the policy based data network path 220. In one embodiment, the packet processing criterion 210 includes a destination IP address, a source IP address, a MAC address, a network interface number, a layer 4 port number, a source layer 4 port number, a destination layer 4 port number, an URL, an user identity, a cookie value, a time value, an identity, other information in the packet or a combination of one or more of the above.

In some embodiments, the policy enforcing point 202 may create a new data packet 218 which comprises the data packet 212 and a protocol header 216 which contains the selected policy based data network path 220.

In various embodiments, the selected network path 220 includes an order list of policy enforcing points and their associated network application appliances, and may be used to process the data packet 212. In one embodiment, the selected network path 220 includes an order list of network application appliances. The client side policy enforcing point 202 determines an order list of policy enforcing points corresponding to the order list of network application appliances. Each determined policy enforcing point may connect to the corresponding network application appliance. The client side policy enforcing point 202 may use the determined order list of policy enforcing points as the selected network path to process the data packet 212.

In other embodiments, the selected network path 220 does not include the client side policy enforcing point 202. The client side policy enforcing point 202 updates the selected network path 220 to include the client side policy enforcing point 202 as the first policy enforcing point. The client side policy enforcing point 202 may not update the selected network path 220.

Returning now to FIG. 1, in other embodiments, the client side policy enforcing point 108 may examine the network path 124, 132, 136 and select a next policy enforcing point 126. The client side policy enforcing point 110 may identify itself in the network path 124, 132, 136. The client side policy enforcing point 110 may select the policy enforcing point 126 following the client side policy enforcing point 110 in the order list of policy enforcing points of the network path 124, 132, 136. The client side policy enforcing point 110 may select the first policy enforcing point in the order list of policy enforcing points of the network path 124, 132, 136 as the next policy enforcing point 126. The client side policy enforcing point 110 may send the data packet 108 to the next policy enforcing point 126. The client side policy enforcing point 110 may generate a new data packet 120 based on the data packet 108 and the network path 124, 132, 136, and send the new data packet 120 to the next policy enforcing point 126. The client side policy enforcing point 110 may then include this data packet 108 into the new data packet 120, and the network path 124, 132, 136. The client side policy enforcing point 110 may encapsulate the network path 124, 132, 136 into a layer 2 protocol header such as a VLAN header or a MPLS header. The client side policy enforcing point 110 may also establish a communication session such as an IP tunneling session (IP in IP session, L2TP tunnel, IPSec tunnel), or other tunneling mechanism and generate the new data packet 120 for the tunnel. The client side policy enforcing point 110 may include the data packet 108 and network path 124, 132, 136 as the content of the new data packet 120.

In the present embodiments, the client side policy enforcing point 110 may include a portion of the network path 124, 132, 136 in the new data packet 120. The client side policy enforcing point 110 may include the portion of the order list starting from the next policy enforcing point 126. Alternately, the client side policy enforcing point 110 may include the entire network path 126 in the new data packet 120.

In various embodiments, the client side policy enforcing point 110 may send the network path 124, 132, 136 to the next policy enforcing point 126 in a different communication session. The client side policy enforcing point 110 may also send the network path 124, 132, 136 to the next policy enforcing point 126 prior to sending the data packet 108 or the new data packet 120 to the next policy enforcing point 126.

In the present embodiments, the client side policy enforcing point 110 may send the data packet 108 or the new data packet 120 to the next policy enforcing point 126 using the policy based data network. The client side policy enforcing point 110 may also send the data packet 108 or the new data packet 120 to the next policy enforcing point 126 using the connected network elements.

In various embodiments, a policy enforcing point 126 may receive a client device data packet 108 from another policy enforcing point, such as the client side policy enforcing point 110. The policy enforcing point 126 may also retrieve the client device data packet 108 from a data packet 120 in a communication session between the policy enforcing point 126 and the other policy enforcing point 134. The policy enforcing point 126 may retrieve a network path 124, 132, 136 associated with the client device data packet 108. The policy enforcing point 126 may further retrieve the network path 124, 132, 136 from the data packet 120 in the communication session between the policy enforcing point 126 and the other policy enforcing point 134. The policy enforcing point 126 may also retrieve the network path 124, 132, 136 received prior to receiving the client device data packet 108.

In various embodiments, the policy enforcing point 126 may examine the order list of policy enforcing points in the network path 124, 132, 136 and select a network application appliance. The policy enforcing point may also identify itself in the order list of policy enforcing points and select an associated network application appliance 130 to itself in the order list of policy enforcing points. Furthermore, the policy enforcing point 126 may select the first associated network application appliance in the order list of policy enforcing points.

The policy enforcing point 126 in the order list in the network path 124, 132, 136 may be associated with a plurality of network application appliances 128, such as an order list of a plurality of network application appliances. The policy enforcing point 126 may select the first associated network application appliance 130 in the order list of a plurality of network application appliances 128.

In some embodiments, the policy enforcing point 126 may send the client device data packet 108 to the selected network application appliance 130. The policy enforcing point 126 may establish a communication session with the selected network application appliance 130 and send the client device data packet 108 over the communication session.

The network application appliance 130 may receive the client device data packet 108, process the client device data packet 108 and send the resulting client device data packet 108 to the policy enforcing point 126. The network application appliance 130 may also modify the client device data packet 108 as a result of processing the client device data packet 108. The network application appliance 130 may send the client device data packet 108 over the communication session with the policy enforcing point 126.

In various embodiments, the policy enforcing point 126 may receive the client device data packet 108 from the network application appliance 130. The policy enforcing point 126 may select a network path 136 for the client device data packet 108. The policy enforcing point 126 may select the previously received network path 124, 132, 136. The policy enforcing point may recognize that the client device data packet 108 may be received from the communication session with the network application appliance 130, and select the previously received network path 124, 132, 136 associated with the communication session. The policy enforcing point 126 may obtain information about the client device data packet 108 similar to the corresponding method employed by the client side policy enforcing point 108 to obtain the client device data packet information 122. The policy enforcing point 126 may include a database of network paths in its storage module. The policy enforcing point 126 may match the client device data packet information 122 with the database of network paths to select the network path 136.

In various embodiments, the policy enforcing point 126 processes the client device data packet 108 received from the application appliance 130 using the selected network path 132, 136. The policy enforcing point 126 may select a next policy enforcing point 134 from the selected network path. The policy enforcing point 126 may also identify itself in the order list of policy enforcing points in the network path, and select a policy enforcing point immediately following itself in the order list. Alternately, the policy enforcing point 126 may select a first policy enforcing point in the order list.

In various embodiments, the policy enforcing point 126 may send the client device data packet to the next policy enforcing point 134. The policy enforcing point 126 may generate a new data packet using the client device data packet 108 and the network path 132, 136. The policy enforcing point 126 may include a portion of the network path 132, 136 into the new data packet. The policy enforcing point 126 may include the portion of the order list of policy enforcing points starting from the next policy enforcing point 134. Alternately, the policy enforcing point 126 may include the entire network path 124, 132, 136 in the new data packet. In one embodiment, the policy enforcing point 126 includes the client device data packet 108 into the new data packet.

In some embodiments, the policy enforcing point 134 may determine that the retrieved network path does not yield a next policy enforcing point. The network path may be empty, or the policy enforcing point may be the last entry in the order list of policy enforcing points in the network path 124, 132, 136. The policy enforcing point 134 may send the client device data packet to the application service server device 138 indicated in the client device data packet 108. The policy enforcing point 134 may send the client device data packet 108 to the application service server device 138 through the policy based data network or through the connected network switches. In this embodiment, the policy enforcing point 134 may be a server side policy enforcing point.

The application service server device 138 may receive the client device data packet 108 and process the data packet 120 from the service session 106. The application service server device 138 may send a data packet towards the client device over the service session 106.

Turning now to FIG. 3, in some embodiments, the server side policy enforcing point 310 may receive a server device data packet 308 over the service session 306. The server side policy enforcing point 310 retrieves information 340 from the server device data packet 308. In some embodiments, the server device data packet 308 information 340 includes layer 2 address information such as MAC address, VLAN identity, MPLS label; layer 3 address information such as an IP address, a source IP address, or a destination IP address; layer 4 information such as a source TCP/UDP port number, a destination TCP/UDP port number, TCP/UDP option value; application layer information such as a cookie, an error code, a protocol transaction identity like DNS identity; application content information such as a document file name, a command string; or some other content within the data packet 308.

Referring now to FIG. 4, in some embodiments, the server side policy enforcing point 402 includes a storage module 404 which contains a database 406 of network paths 408, where each network path in the database may be associated with a packet processing criterion 410. The server side policy enforcing point 402 matches the server device data packet information 414 against the database 406. The server side policy enforcing point 402 may determine the server device data packet information 414 matches a packet processing criterion 410 of a network path 408 in the database 406. The server side policy enforcing point 406 selects the network path.

Returning now to FIG. 3, the server device data packet 308 may also include an indication indicating that the server device data packet 308 may be destined towards the client device 336. The server side policy enforcing point 310 retrieves the indication and determines the data packet 308 may be a server device data packet.

In other embodiments, the server side policy enforcing point 310 determines that the server device data packet 308 may be destined towards the client device 336 by examining the layer 2 or layer 3 information of the server device data packet 308. The server device data packet 308 may be an IP packet and the server side policy enforcing point 310 examines the source IP address, which may be an IP address belonging to a server device. The server side data packet 308 may be an IP tunnel packet and the server side policy enforcing point 310 examines the destination IP address, which may be an IP address of the server side policy enforcing point 310. The server side data packet 308 may include a VLAN identity and the server side policy enforcing point 310 may determine that the VLAN identity is a pre-determined identity indicating the server device data packet 308 may be from a server device 302.

In various embodiments, the server side policy enforcing point 310 examines the selected network path 326, 330, 334. The server side policy enforcing point 310 may identify itself in the order list of policy enforcing points in the selected network path 326, 330, 334. The server side policy enforcing point 310 selects itself as the policy enforcing point to process the data packet 308. The server side policy enforcing point 310 may also determine itself in the order list may be associated with a network application appliance 320, the server side policy enforcing point 310 sends the server device data packet 308 to the associated network application appliance 320.

In some embodiments, a server side policy enforcing point 310 determines itself in the order list of policy enforcing points may be not associated with a network application appliance. The server side policy enforcing point 310 may also select the policy enforcing point in the order list of policy enforcing points preceding itself in the order list. The server side policy enforcing point 310 may send the server device data packet 308 to the selected policy enforcing point 328.

In an alternate embodiment, a server side policy enforcing point 332 does not find any policy enforcing point in the order list of preceding policy enforcing points preceding. The server side policy enforcing point 332 may send the server device data packet 308 to the client device 336.

If a server side policy enforcing point 328 does not find itself in the order list of policy enforcing points in the selected network path 326, 330, 334, the server side policy enforcing point 328 may select a last entry policy enforcing point 332 in the order list of policy enforcing points. The server side policy enforcing point 328 sends the server device data packet 308 to the selected policy enforcing point 332.

In one embodiment, a server side policy enforcing point 332 fails to select a policy enforcing point from the order list of policy enforcing points in the selected network path 326, 330, 334, and the server side policy enforcing point 332 consequently sends the server device data packet 308 to the client device 436.

In some embodiments, a network application appliance 320 receives a server device data packet 308, processes the data packet 308, and sends the server device data packet 308 to a policy enforcing point 310. The network application appliance 320 may also modify the server device data packet 308 prior to sending to the policy enforcing point 310.

In various embodiments, a policy enforcing point 328 receives a server device data packet 322 from a network application appliance 332. The policy enforcing point 328 selects a network path 330, 334 to process the server device data packet 322. The policy enforcing point may retrieve the network path 330, 334 from the server device data packet 322. The policy enforcing point 328 may retrieve information 324 about the server device data packet 322 and select the network path 330, 334 using the server device data packet information 324. The policy enforcing point 328 may determine that the server device data packet 322 is destined towards the client device 336, by either obtaining an indication inside the server device data packet 322 or examining the layer 2 or layer 3 information of the server device data packet 322, as illustrated earlier.

The policy enforcing point 328 may select a policy enforcing point 332 or a network application appliance 338 from the order list of policy enforcing points of the selected network path, using a similar process illustrated herein in the embodiments for a server side policy enforcing point. The policy enforcing point sends the server device data packet 322 to the selected policy enforcing point 332, or to the selected network application appliance 338.

In some embodiments, the policy enforcing point 332 may fail to select a policy enforcing point or a network application appliance, and consequently may send the server device data packet 322 to the client device 336.

In various embodiments, the policy based data network 304 may connect to a network computer 318. The policy enforcing points 310, 328, 332 of the policy based data network 304 may access the network computer 318. The network computer may be considered as a portion of the storage module 312 of each policy enforcing point.

The network computer 318 may include a database of network paths, which may be accessible to a policy enforcing point 310. When a policy enforcing point 310 accesses a database of network paths 314, the policy enforcing point 318 may access the database of network paths in the network computer 318. A network path in the network computer 318 may be associated to a network path identity. When a policy enforcing point 310 incorporates a network path 326 into a data packet illustrated in FIG. 2 for an embodiment described earlier in this invention, the policy enforcing point 310 may include a network path identity associated to the network path 326 into the data packet 322. When a policy enforcing point 328 retrieves a network path from a data packet 322, the policy enforcing point 328 may retrieve a network path identity from the data packet, match the network path identity with the network computer 318 and retrieve the network path 326 wherein the retrieved network path identity from the data packet 322 matches a network path identity associated to the retrieved network path 326 from the network computer 418.

In various embodiments, the network computer 318 may be a computing device connected to the policy based data network 304, or a distributed database. The network computer 318 may include storage modules of one or more policy enforcing points 310, 328, 332 in the policy based data network 304.

In some embodiments, the policy based data network may be connected to a policy controller. The policy controller may be a network computing device comprising a storage module, a processor module and a network module. The network module of the policy controller may connect to the policy based data network. The storage module of the policy controller includes one or more programming instructions which when executed by the processor module performs one or more functions illustrated herein.

In some embodiments, the policy controller may send a network path to a policy enforcing point wherein the policy enforcing point stores the network path into its storage module. The policy controller may also send a network path to be stored in the network storage. In various embodiments, a policy enforcing point receives all the network paths in its storage module from the policy controller. The network storage may also receive all the network paths from the policy controller.

The policy controller may also include the network storage, and store the network path into the network storage.

In various embodiments, a policy based network path includes an indication to a plurality of network inspection and control functions which are associated to a plurality of network application appliances corresponding to the network inspection and control functions. A policy enforcing point selects a network application appliance associated to a network inspection and control function to process a client device or server device data packet.

A policy enforcing point may include functionality to perform a network inspection and control function. A policy enforcing point may also perform as a network application appliance.

In some embodiments, a network application appliance may include a plurality of devices serving the associated network inspection or control function. A network application appliance may also include a cluster of devices, a virtual chassis of devices, or a plurality of devices distributed over a data network. In various embodiments, a policy enforcing point selects a device of the network application appliance.

A policy enforcing point may modify a network path based on the information obtained from a client device or server device data packet. A policy enforcing point may also modify the network path by inserting another policy enforcing point and/or another network application appliance/network inspection or control function into the network path. Further, a policy enforcing point may remove or replace a policy enforcing point, a network application appliance or a network inspection or control function from the network path.

A server side policy enforcing point may select a network path different from the network path used in processing the client side data packet of the service session. In some embodiments, both the server side policy and the client side policy can process the data packets containing information concerning corporate information security policy, document transfer, virus scanning, phishing, email scanning, and the like. The client side policy can also process data packets containing information concerning corporate information policy, document transfer, virus scanning, and the like. Additionally, the client side can enable checking the data packets for intrusion, distributed denial of services (DDOS) attacks, network scanning, and so forth.

When processing a current client device data packet, a client side policy enforcing point may retrieve the network path, selected to process a prior client device data packet of the service session, to process the current client device data packet.

In various embodiments, the client device establishes a service with the service device where the service includes a plurality of service sessions. The service may be a SIP service, an FTP service, a video conferencing service, or a collaboration service. In one embodiment, the client side policy enforcing point selects a network path to process a first service session of the service. The client side policy enforcing point stores the relationship between the selected network path with the service into its storage module. When the client side policy enforcing point processes a client device data packet of a second service session, the client side policy enforcing point determines that the second service session, based on the client device data packet information, may be associated to the service. The client side policy enforcing point retrieves from its storage module the network path of the service and uses the retrieved network path to process the client device data packet of the second service session. The client side policy enforcing point may also select a network path different from the network path of the first service session to process the second service session. The client side policy enforcing point may use a network path to process a SIP signaling session of a SIP service and use a different network path to process a SIP media session of the SIP service. The client side policy enforcing point may use a network path to process an FTP control session of an FTP service and use a different network path to process an FTP data session of the FTP service.

In various embodiments, the client side policy enforcement point processes a prior data packet of the service session and stores the selected network path processing the prior data packet, and the prior data packet information in the storage module of the client side policy enforcement point. The client side policy enforcement point subsequently receives a data packet of the service session. The client side policy enforcement point combines the current data packet information and the prior data packet information to determine a change to the selected network path for the prior data packet. The client side policy enforcement point modifies the selected network path to become the selected network path to process the current data packet.

The various embodiments, implementations and features of the invention noted above can be combined in various ways or used separately. Those skilled in the art will understand from the description that the invention can be equally applied to or used in other various different settings with respect to various combinations, embodiments, implementations or features provided in the description herein.

Numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will become obvious to those skilled in the art that the invention may be practiced without these specific details. The description and representation herein are the common meanings used by those experienced or skilled in the art to most effectively convey the substance of their work to others skilled in the art. In other instances, well-known methods, procedures, components, and circuitry have not been described in detail to avoid unnecessarily obscuring aspects of the present invention.

Also, in this specification, reference to “one embodiment,” “an embodiment,” “various embodiments,” or “some embodiments” means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment can be included in at least one embodiment of the invention. The appearances of these phrases in various places in the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment, nor are separate or alternative embodiments mutually exclusive of other embodiments. Further, the order of blocks in process flowcharts or diagrams, if any, representing one or more embodiments of the invention do not inherently indicate any particular order nor imply any limitations in the invention.

Other embodiments of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of this specification or practice of the invention disclosed herein. It is intended that the specification and examples be considered as exemplary only, with the true scope and spirit of the invention being indicated by the following claims.

The invention can be implemented in software, hardware or a combination of hardware and software. A number of embodiments of the invention can also be embodied as computer readable code on a computer readable medium. The computer readable medium may be any data storage device that can store data which can thereafter be read by a computer system. Examples of the computer readable medium include read-only memory, random-access memory, CD-ROMs, magnetic tape, optical data storage devices, solid state storage drives, hard disk drives, and carrier waves. The computer readable medium can also be distributed over network-coupled computer systems so that the computer readable code may be stored and executed in a distributed fashion.

FIG. 5 shows a diagrammatic representation of a machine in the example electronic form of a computer system 500, within which a set of instructions for causing the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein may be executed. In various example embodiments, the machine operates as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the machine may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in a server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine may be a PC, a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a cellular telephone, a portable music player (e.g., a portable hard drive audio device such as an Moving Picture Experts Group Audio Layer 3 (MP3) player), a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

The example computer system 500 includes a processor or multiple processors 502 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or both), a main memory 504 and a static memory 506, which communicate with each other via a bus 508. The computer system 500 may further include a video display unit 510 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD) or a cathode ray tube (CRT)). The computer system 500 may also include an alphanumeric input device 512 (e.g., a keyboard), a cursor control device 514 (e.g., a mouse), a disk drive unit 516, a signal generation device 518 (e.g., a speaker), and a network interface device 520.

The disk drive unit 516 includes a non-transitory computer-readable medium 522, on which is stored one or more sets of instructions and data structures (e.g., instructions 524) embodying or utilized by any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The instructions 524 may also reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory 504 and/or within the processors 502 during execution thereof by the computer system 500. The main memory 504 and the processors 502 may also constitute machine-readable media.

The instructions 524 may further be transmitted or received over a network 526 via the network interface device 520 utilizing any one of a number of well-known transfer protocols (e.g., Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP)).

While the computer-readable medium 522 is shown in an example embodiment to be a single medium, the term “computer-readable medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple media (e.g., a centralized or distributed database and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term “computer-readable medium” shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set of instructions for execution by the machine and that causes the machine to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present application, or that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures utilized by or associated with such a set of instructions. The term “computer-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, optical and magnetic media, and carrier wave signals. Such media may also include, without limitation, hard disks, floppy disks, flash memory cards, digital video disks, random access memory (RAMs), read only memory (ROMs), and the like.

The example embodiments described herein can be implemented in an operating environment comprising computer-executable instructions (e.g., software) installed on a computer, in hardware, or in a combination of software and hardware. The computer-executable instructions can be written in a computer programming language or can be embodied in firmware logic. If written in a programming language conforming to a recognized standard, such instructions can be executed on a variety of hardware platforms and for interfaces to a variety of operating systems. Although not limited thereto, computer software programs for implementing the present method can be written in any number of suitable programming languages such as, for example, Hypertext Markup Language (HTML), Dynamic HTML, Extensible Markup Language (XML), Extensible Stylesheet Language (XSL), Document Style Semantics and Specification Language (DSSSL), Cascading Style Sheets (CSS), Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language (SMIL), Wireless Markup Language (WML), Java™, Jini™, C, C++, Perl, UNIX Shell, Visual Basic or Visual Basic Script, Virtual Reality Markup Language (VRML), ColdFusion™ or other compilers, assemblers, interpreters or other computer languages or platforms.

Thus, methods and systems for processing data packets using policy based networks have been described. Although embodiments have been described with reference to specific example embodiments, it will be evident that various modifications and changes can be made to these example embodiments without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the present application. Accordingly, the specification and drawings are to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A computer-implemented method for processing a data packet using a policy based network path, the method comprising: receiving from a client, by a first policy enforcing point of a plurality of policy enforcing points, a data packet associated with a service session, each of the plurality of policy enforcing points being in communication with at least one network appliance of a plurality of network appliances, wherein each of the plurality of policy enforcing points is configured to send the data packet to the at least one network appliance of the plurality of network appliances, wherein each of the plurality of network appliances receives, from one of the plurality of policy enforcing points, the data packet processed by the one of the plurality of policy enforcing points, performs one or more operations on the data packet, and sends, upon the performing of the one or more operations, the data packet to the one of the plurality of policy enforcing points, the one or more operations including at least a network inspection, a load balancing, and a network control operation; determining, by the first policy enforcing point, data packet information associated with the data packet; determining, by the first policy enforcing point, the policy based network path for the data packet based on the determined data packet information and one or more packet processing criteria; applying, by the first policy enforcing point, the one or more packet processing criteria to the data packet information to determine one or more further segments of a remaining portion of the policy based network path, the one or more further segments comprising at least one further policy enforcing point of the plurality of policy enforcing points; and routing, based on the determination of the remaining portion of the policy based network path, by the first policy enforcing point, the data packet along the policy based network path via the at least one further policy enforcing point, wherein each of the plurality of policy enforcing points is configured to determine at least one segment of the policy based network path by applying the one or more packet processing criteria to the data packet information associated with the packet.
 2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the data packet information includes one or more of the following: information associated with content of the data packet, information associated with one or more prior data packet of the session, and further information obtained from a network computer.
 3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the data packet includes one or more of the following: a Media Access Control (MAC) address, a network interface number, a source IP address, a destination IP address, a source TCP/UDP port, a destination TCP/UDP port, a TCP/UDP option, a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), cookie information, a Domain Name System (DNS) identity, a service session identity, a receiving time of the data packet, an error code, a document file name, and a command string.
 4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the policy based network path is selected from a database of policy based data network paths.
 5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the policy based network path includes an order list of further policy enforcing points and corresponding network application appliances, the data packet being routed to a network application appliance associated with a next policy enforcing point in the order list.
 6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first policy enforcing point is operable to examine the policy based network path, select a next policy enforcing point, and forward the data packet to at least one network application appliance associated with the next policy enforcing point.
 7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising generating a new data packet based on the data packet and the policy based network path and sending the new data packet to a next policy enforcing point, the new data packet including the data packet and the policy based network path.
 8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first policy enforcing point encapsulates the policy based network path into a protocol header of the new data packet.
 9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising establishing, by the first policy enforcing point a tunneling communication session and generating a new data packet adapted for the tunneling communication session, the new data packet incorporating the data packet.
 10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first policy enforcing point is a client side policy enforcing point or a server side policy enforcing point.
 11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, where the first policy enforcing point is operable to send the policy based network path to a next policy enforcing point prior to sending the data packet to the next policy enforcing point.
 12. A system for processing a data packet using a policy based network path, the system comprising: a database operable to store one or more policy based network paths, the one or more policy based network paths comprising one or more segments including a plurality of policy enforcing points, wherein each of the plurality of policy enforcing points is in communication with at least one network appliance of a plurality of network appliances, wherein each of the plurality of policy enforcing points is configured to send the data packet to the at least one network appliance of the plurality of network appliances, wherein each of the plurality of network appliances receives, from one of the plurality of policy enforcing points, the data packet processed by the one of the plurality of policy enforcing points, performs one or more operations on the data packet, and sends, upon the performing of the one or more operations, the data packet to the one of the plurality of policy enforcing points, the one or more operations including at least a network inspection, a load balancing, and a network control operation; and a first policy enforcing point of the plurality of policy enforcing points operable to: receive the data packet associated with a service session; determine data packet information associated with the data packet; determine the policy based network path from the one or more policy based network paths stored in the database for the data packet based on the data packet information and one or more packet processing criteria; apply the one or more packet processing criteria to the data packet information to determine one or more further segments of a remaining portion of the policy based network path, the one or more further segments comprising at least one further policy enforcing point of the plurality of policy enforcing points; and route, based on the determination of the remaining portion of the policy based network path, the data packet along the policy based network path via the at least one further policy enforcing point, wherein each of the plurality of policy enforcing points is configured to determine at least one segment of the policy based network path by applying the one or more packet processing criteria to the data packet information associated with the packet.
 13. The system of claim 12, wherein the data packet information includes one or more of the following: information associated with content of the data packet, information associated with one or more prior data packets of the session, and further information obtained from a network computer.
 14. The system of claim 12, wherein the information associated with content of the data packet includes one or more of the following: a Media Access Control (MAC) address, a network interface number, a source IP address, a destination IP address, a source TCP/UDP port, a destination TCP/UDP port, a TCP/UDP option, a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), cookie information, a Domain Name System (DNS) identity, a service session identity, a receiving time of the data packet, an error code, a document file name, and a command string.
 15. The system of claim 12, wherein the policy based network path includes an order list of further policy enforcing points and corresponding network application appliances, the data packet being routed to a network application appliance associated with a next policy enforcing point in order list.
 16. The system of claim 12, wherein the first policy enforcing point is operable to examine the policy based network path, select a next policy enforcing point, and forward the data packet to the next policy enforcing point.
 17. The system of claim 12, wherein the first policy enforcing point is further operable to generate a new data packet based on the data packet and the policy based network path and send the new data packet to a next policy enforcing point, the new data packet including the data packet and the policy based network path.
 18. The system of claim 12, wherein the first policy enforcing point encapsulates the policy based network path into a protocol header of the new data packet.
 19. The system of claim 12, wherein the first policy enforcing point is further operable to establish a tunneling communication session and generate a new data packet adopted for the tunneling communication session, the new data packet incorporating the data packet.
 20. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer readable code, which when executed by one or more processors, implements a method for processing a data packet using a policy based network path, the method comprising: receiving from a client, by a first policy enforcing point of a plurality of policy enforcing points, a data packet associated with a service session, each of the plurality of policy enforcing points being in communication with at least one network appliance of a plurality of network appliances, wherein each of the plurality of policy enforcing points is configured to send the data packet to the at least one network appliance of the plurality of network appliances, wherein each of the plurality of network appliances receives, from one of the plurality of policy enforcing points, the data packet processed by the one of the plurality of policy enforcing points, performs one or more operations on the data packet, and sends, upon the performing of the one or more operations, the data packet to the one of the plurality of policy enforcing points, the one or more operations including at least a network inspection, a load balancing, and a network control operation; determining, by the first policy enforcing point, data packet information associated with the packet and the policy based network path based on the data packet information and one or more packet processing criteria; applying, by the first policy enforcing point, the one or more packet processing criteria to the data packet information to determine one or more further segments of a remaining portion of the policy based network path, the one or more further segments comprising at least one further policy enforcing point of the plurality of policy enforcing points; and routing, based on the determination of the remaining portion of the policy based network path, by the first policy enforcing point, the data packet along the policy based network path via the at least one further policy enforcing point, wherein each of the plurality of policy enforcing points is configured to determine at least one segment of the policy based network path by applying the one or more packet processing criteria to the data packet information associated with the packet. 